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Loan Requests from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art

Requirements and Obligations of the Borrower

All institutions that meet the American Association of Museums (AAM) definition of a museum may request to borrow works from the National Gallery's Collection. AAM defines a museum as:

A legally organized nonprofit institution, essentially educational in nature, which owns or utilizes tangible objects, cares for them, and exhibits them to the public on some regular schedule.

Borrowing museums must meet certain standards of security, staffing, and environmental control. Borrowers are responsible for the direct costs of loans, which may include (but are not limited to) preparation, such as matting and framing, climate-proofing, waterproofing, vitrines, packing, crating, handling, transportation, courier costs, and insurance, which will be maintained under the National Gallery's policy. There is no administrative or special loan fee.

How to Borrow

Please submit requests for loans to [email protected].

The request should include:

  • a formal request to the attention of Director Kaywin Feldman, sent electronically to [email protected];
  • exhibition title, dates, and venue(s);
  • exhibition synopsis;
  • relevance of requested objects(s) to the exhibition;
  • work(s) requested including the accession number(s) (see the National Gallery’s online database);
  • a completed American Association of Museums standard facility report, which must include satisfactory environmental readings for the same period of the loan request from the previous year; and
  • a contact name, email address, and telephone number for the administration of the loan.

The borrower should submit a request at least one year in advance of the exhibition’s opening to allow sufficient time for consideration and approval of the request, for conservation treatment and preparation of the object(s), and for approval of the borrowing institution’s facility report and environmental conditions. For new borrowers and borrowers  whose facilities have undergone renovations, the National Gallery will require at least six months of satisfactory environmental readings before a loan can be approved.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact Senior Loan Officer Lisa MacDougall at [email protected] or (202) 427-3119.

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